Electric sign.



No. 796,559. PATENTED AUG. 8, 1905. C. T. BRADSHAW.

ELECTRIC SIGN.

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C. T. BRADSHAW.

ELECTRIC SIGN.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 17, 1902. RENEWBD JAN. 18.1905.

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CHARLES T. BRADSHAW, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE ATTRACTO COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A

CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1905.

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Be it known that I, CHARLES T. BRADsI-IAW, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Signs, of which I declare the following to be a full and complete disclosure.

In general my invention has for its object the production of a revolving sign in which letters placed upon its opposite sides will appear to be existing in space, owing to the rapid revolutions oi' the sign, and which will attract attention by its movement as well as by sound devices operated by rapidly passing through the air.

A further object of my invention is the production of a sign which in addition to the feature of attracting attention will cause currents of air which in warm weather will produce cooling eiects.

For a clear and exact description of my invention reference may be had to the follow- .ing speciiication and to the accompanying drawings, Jforming a part thereof, in which-- Figure 1 is an elevation of one form of my device. Fig. 2is central sectional view. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view showing the electric connections to the revolving parts; and Fig. 4 is a view of another form, the casings for the commutator and motor being in section. l indicates the body portion of the sign, which is composed of two parallel plates 2 and 3, each of which has transparent letters arranged in the same relative positions as regards the axis of revolutions. These plates are easily removable to allow a changing of the words or symbols, and consequently the information conveyed by the same.

4 represents incandescent lamps arranged in any suitable manner between the plates 2 and 3 to illuminate the letters.

5 is a central shaft or spindle which revolves with the sign and extends down into thetube6. An insulating-washerTisattached to the sign, through which extends the terminals 8 8 of the lamp-circuit. An insulating-bushing 9 surrounds the tube 6 and has at its upper end a flanged portion 10, which carries the contact-sockets 11, into which the terminals 8 are adapted to extend. The tube 6 and bushing 9 are surrounded by the stationary hollow standard 12, which is attached to the casing 13. The tube 6 extends downwardly and carries the insulating-bar a short distance below the casing 13. I/Vithin openings in this bar at different distances from the axis are fixed the sockets 15, carrying coiled springs 16, which are adapted to force suitable contact-blocks 17 outwardly. An insulating-plate 18 is secured to a suitable crossbar 19 and carries upon its surface two contact-rings 2O and 21, which are of different diameters to correspond to the distances of the contact-pieces 17 from the axis of rotation. The bushings 11 are electrically connected with the sockets 15 and contact-pieces 17 by means of the wires 21 and 22, which pass through the interior ofthe tube 6 to a point below the end of the spindle 5 and thence into the insulatingbushing 9 and through the same to the contact-bushings 11. The rings 2O and 21 are connected with the source oi' the electric current. The tube 6 extends downwardly to the bearing 23 and also forms the driving-shaft for the sign. To this end the tube carries a gear-wheel which is driven by a suitable electric or other form of motor 25.

It is obvious that when the motor is energized the sign will be revolved upon its vertical axis and the letters being brightly illuminated on each side will follow the same circular paths about the axis and will appear to be suspended in the air, th us attracting the attention and curiosity oi' persons within whose range of vision it happens to be.

In Fig. 4 is shown a modified form of my sign in which the axis is horizontal and which is adapted to be suspended out of doors with no connections with a building except by the suspending means, thus forming a swinging as well as a revolving sign.

The sign proper, 26', is supported upon shafts on trunnions 26 and 27, one of which is made hollow, as 29, to allow the passage of wires for the lamp-circuit within the sign.

rlhese trunnions pass into suitable casings 28 and 29, one of which incloses the motor which is connected to the shaft 26, and the other incloses the commutator or contact-rings 31. This commutator is similar to that first described, With the exception that the rings are of the same size and separately carried by the shaft 27, while the contact-pieces are stationary. The pipe 32 connects the casings 28 and 29 and serves to support the same as well as to form conduits for the lead-wires to the motor and commutator. This pipe is provided with suitable suspension devices 33 and 34, which are insulated therefrom and which also form conductors to supply the current to the Wires within the pipe 32.

Suitable openings, as 35, may be made in either form of sign and reeds, whistles, or other sound devices placed therein to attract attention in addition tothe rotary movement.

It will be seen that the rapid revolutions of the sign of either the horizontal or vertical form will produce currents of air which will act in the manner of fans and produce cooling effects in warm weather. T his is especially true of the vertical form which may be placed upon counters in stores near places where customers stand while purchasing goods and which may be carried from place to place, as desired.

Itis obvious that instead of having the lamps placed upon the interior of the sign the letters themselves may be formed by arranging small lamps on the surfaces of the sign.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is-

l. An electric sign comprising a body having illuminated letters or symbols duplicated upon parallel sides thereof in the same relative axial positions, means for illuminating said letters and means :for rotating said body on a transverse axis, substantially as de- 1 scribed.

2. An electric sign comprising a body having illuminated letters or symbols duplicated upon the plane parallel sides thereof inthe same relative axial positions, means for illuminating said letters, contact devices between the stationary and revolving parts and means for rotating said body and transverse axis, substantially as described.

3. An electric sign comprising a body having slightly-separated parallel plates and having illuminated letters or symbols thereon in the same relative axial positions, lamps for illuminating said letters, a hollow shaft supporting said body, contact-rings, springpressed contact-blocks engaging said rings, suitable electricconnections leading to said contact-rings, an insulating-bushingsurrounding said hollow shaft, suitable connections leading from said contact-blocks through said hollow shaft and bushing to said illuminating means, and means for rotating said shaft and body, substantially as described.

4. An electric sign comprising a body having slightly-separated parallel plates and having illuminated letters or symbols thereon in the same relative axial positions, lamp between said plates for illuminating said letters, a hollow shaft supporting said body contactrings, spring-pressed blocks engaging said rings suitable electric connections leading to said contact-rings, an insulating-bushing surrounding said hollow shaft and carrying contact-bushing at its Lipper end, suitable electric connections leading through said hollow shaft and bushing to the contact-bushings, a spindle carried by the body portion, adapted to enter said hollow shaft, terminal pins carried by said body portion adapted to enter said contact-bushings, substantially as described.

5. An electric sign comprising a body having illuminated letters or symbols upon the sides thereof in the same relative axial positions, means for illuminating said letters, a shaft supporting said body and having a hollow portion, casings into which said shaft extends a tube connecting said casings, suspending means attached to said tube and insulated therefrom, a motor in one of said casings a commutator in the other of said casings electric connections from said commutator to said illuminating means, and suitable electric connections from said suspending means to said commutator and motor passing through said tube, substantially as described.

6. An electric sign comprising a body having illuminated letters or symbols upon the sides thereof in the same axial positions, means for illuminating said letters, a shaft supporting said body, casings into which said shaft extends, a tube connecting said casings suspending means attached to said tube and insulated therefrom, means for rotating said shaft and body and means for conveying current from said suspending means to said. ro.

tating body, carried by said casings and tubes, substantially as described.

7. Asign consisting of arotatable bodyhaving the devices to be displayed duplicated on opposite sides thereof, and means for rotating said body for intermittently displaying the duplicated devices in the same position relative to any point of vision.

8. A sign consisting of a rotatable body having cooperating illuminated devices on opposite sides thereof, and means for rapidly rotating said body for intermittently displaying said devices in the same position relative to any point of vision.

9. A sign consisting of a rotatable body having illuminated devices duplicated on opposite sides thereof, and means for rapidly rotating said body for intermittently displaying the and 'sound-producing devices carried by said body and adapted to be set in operation by the movement of the air.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of March, A. D. 1902.

CHARLES T. BRADSHAW.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR E. NITZsoHE, EDW. W. VAILL, Jr. 

